Hammersmith and Fulham new homes could tackle housing shortage

A scheme in Hammersmith and Fulham could help tackle the housing shortage as the CBI and British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) call for more homebuilding in the upcoming Budget.

The CBI is calling for 50,000 new affordable homes to be built, while the BCC wants to see the Government commit to 100,000 additional new homes.

Housing shortage in London

With Savills research into housing supply in London finding that it is currently at one third of the Mayor’s minimum target, new schemes are required to help plug this gap as well as provide the economic stimulus the industry bodies are looking for.

Hammersmith and Fulham council are trialling new houses from a company called Rational House, which aims to provide pre-fabricated high density, low rise housing with a focus on quality and design.

If you’re looking to move into the Fulham and Hammersmith area, get in touch with either of our two Fulham offices in Bishops Park or Parsons Green.

A modern pre-fab

Made from pre-cast architectural stone components, the houses can be built much faster than traditional buildings and are designed to make maximum use of space. They are also well-insulated and reach level 4 on the Code for Sustainable Homes.

A prototype 3 bedroom house has been built on Biscay Road in Hammersmith, where it took 11 days to erect the shell of the building on a former car park that could hold 3 cars.

100 new houses in four years

Following the success of the prototype the council aims to build 12 more of the houses on the Spring Vale estate and has identified up to 100 sites for potential development over the next four years.

Unlike high-rise residential blocks, Rational House wants to create high density housing in traditional street layouts. It believes this will help create a community feel and retain the character of an area, while also providing more housing than some inefficient high-rise blocks.

The council hope the developments will reduce the housing shortage in the borough as well as provide houses in the mid-range bracket for first-time buyers.